A vehicle, such as a car, is often provided with a spare wheel cavity configured to house a spare wheel. The spare wheel cavity may also be utilized for storing other objects than the spare wheel.
However, if utilizing a spare wheel cavity according to prior art, there would be a risk in case of a rear collision that the spare wheel and/or another object stored in the spare wheel cavity could get stuck against a structural element of the vehicle, such as a rear cross member, thereby potentially causing a stack-up.
Document JP2006256464A discloses a vehicle body rear structure which allows a control of the movement of a spare wheel upon a vehicle body collision. A controller predicts a collision with another vehicle on the basis of data input from a radar, etc. Upon predicting the collision, the controller causes a shifter to jump the vehicle body front side of the spare wheel upward against the vehicle body, at which an extension of the shaft of a spare wheel cramp extends. When another vehicle actually collides against the rear of the vehicle body, the spare wheel is pushed to move it from a retreat position toward the vehicle body front, and a vulnerable part of the shaft of the spare wheel cramp comes to break. As a result, the spare wheel passes over the structural element of the vehicle, such as the rear cross member, thereby reducing or avoiding a risk of a stack-up.
Document DE9320701U1 discloses a vehicle with a battery arranged in a wheel rim of the spare wheel. The battery has a shape adapted to the cavity in the wheel rim, e.g. having a cylindrical shape. However, DE9320701U1 does not describe what happens if the vehicle is involved in a rear collision.
There is thus a desire to provide a spare wheel cavity which works in a rear crash scenario, such the risk of a stack-up is reduced or avoided. This is also the case if the spare wheel cavity is utilized for storing other objects than the spare wheel, e.g. a battery.